With thousands of excellent cafes in New Zealand, it’s always difficult to work out which are the best to try, especially if you are new to a place.
Thankfully, the annual New Zealand Cafe of the Year awards help sort out the best through objective judging and public feedback.
The best cafes in Wellington
National – Best Rural (joint winner)
The Clareville Bakery Café
3340 SH2, Carterton
National – Classic Kiwi
Sweet Vanilla Kitchen
49 Pretoria Street, Lower Hutt, Wellington
Wellington regional cafes shortlisted by judges for the national awards:
Best Metro/CBD
Prefab
14 Jessie Street, Te Aro, Wellington
The Flight Coffee Hangar
119 Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Victoria St Café
98 Victoria Street, Te Aro, Wellington
Best Suburban
Benedicts Café
141 Dowse Drive, Maungaraki, Lower Hutt
Café Polo
82-84 Rotherham Terrace, Miramar, Wellington
Franco’s Trattoria
27 Dundas Street, Seatoun, Wellington
Best Rural
Saddleback Café
517 Ohariu Valley Road, Ohariu Valley, Johnsonville, Wellington
The Clareville Bakery Café
3340 SH2, Carterton
The Village Grinder
432 Queen Street, Masterton
Classic Kiwi
HOME Café
70 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington
Mount Cook Café
75 Wallace Street, Mount Cook, Wellington
Tiki Lounge Café
112 High Street, Alicetown, Lower Hutt
People’s Choice
Sweet Vanilla Kitchen
49 Pretoria St, Lower Hutt
Source: New Zealand Cafe of the Year Awards 2016, run by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. Factors considered by the judges including atmosphere and appearance, menu and coffee, service, staff interaction and overall impression.
